Fourth suspect in juvenile prison riot maintains innocence

Friday

Dec 13, 2013 at 11:45 AM

The attorney for one of four young men accused in a juvenile prison riot in August has asked for a continuance as he investigates the case against his client. The other three have already been convicted.

Lori Steineck CantonRep.com staff writer @lsteineckREP

Three of four juvenile prison inmates have already pleaded guilty to aggravated rioting, but the fourth is maintaining his innocence.

Jim Haupt, attorney for Cozted Phillips, asked Stark County Common Pleas Judge Kristin Farmer Friday morning to delay his scheduled trial so that Haupt can investigate the incident.

Farmer granted the continuance, setting Phillips' trial for Jan. 27.

Phillips is one of four young men accused in an Aug. 18 riot at the Indian River Juvenile Correction Facility. Two corrections officers were injured, according to court paperwork.

Trooper Dora Gonzalez of the Ohio Highway Patrol's Massillon post said in September that the trouble began shortly after one of the youth corrections officers, called youth specialists, switched off the television so that the young men could be taken to the cafeteria for dinner. When the youth returned to the TV, an argument broke out and the youth specialists were injured.

Phillips, now 19, was charged along with Christopher Griffin, 18; Lameer Kidd, 19; and James Spaights, 18. Spaights and Griffin were already in the juvenile facility for aggravated robbery with a weapon, and Phillips was there for felonious assault with a gun, Gonzalez said. The charges that brought Kidd to Indian River were not available. All but Griffin are Cleveland area residents. Griffin is from Cincinnati.

Haupt did not know about the other young men's current status but, he said, Phillips had a year left on his sentence before the incident occurred.

"It's our position that he was not involved," Haupt said.

He said an estimated 20 juveniles were present during the incident and yet only these four young men were charged.

Haupt said that as he was preparing Phillips' defense, he sought to gain access to the area where the incident occurred, but Ohio Division of Youth Services officials at Indian River denied him entry.

"They told me to make contact with their Columbus (-based) legal division, which also denied access," Haupt said.